NEW DELHI: US President Donald Trump made a surprise audio call to US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor during the US Embassy’s 250th Independence Day celebrations in Delhi telling “he loves PM Modi” and calling him “great”“I just want to say hello to everybody. I love the Prime Minister. Modi is great. He’s my friend,” the US President can be heard saying.Further praising India, he added, ” We’ve never been closer to India, and India can count on me 100% and our country. If they ever need help, they know who they call. They call right here. We’re doing well. We’re setting records. We have a record economy, a record stock market, and anything India wants again. And I’m a big, big fan of Prime Minister Modi.”The event in Delhi was addressed by External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor.Speaking at the event, Gor hailed the close personal relationship between Trump and PM Modi. “Every time the President (Trump) and I speak, one of the first questions the President will ask is, how is my friend, the Prime Minister (Modi), doing? And that is something that is important to convey because this relationship is not new…” Gor said.He also described the India-US partnership as the foundation of “a new era” and highlighted recent developments in bilateral cooperation. “This bond is the foundation of a new era. We are actively delivering on the promise of our cooperation and building a future of tangible achievements,” Gor said.Gor said that since arriving in New Delhi five months ago, the two countries had announced an interim trade deal which he hoped “in the next few weeks, will get signed.” He also said India had “been invited, accepted and joined Pax Silica,” while commercial diplomacy between the two nations was at a “record high level.”“I am specifically proud that every embassy competes to bring investment into the United States. And our embassy in India came in number one in the world with $20.5 billion of new investments into the United States,” Gor further said, adding, “Tonight is not only about celebrating history. It is about looking ahead to a new era of shared success driven by the extraordinary momentum in the US-India partnership.”
Rubio’s visit to India
Rubio is on a four-day visit to India, during which he praised External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar during an event and discussed defence, trade and energy cooperation.“I thank you for both the welcome and the hospitality that we’ve gotten from everybody here in India and all of your government leaders, and in particular, the Foreign Minister, who’s become someone I’ve gotten to know very well,” Rubio said at the embassy event.Recalling his first day as Secretary of State, Rubio said one of his earliest diplomatic interactions was through the Quad grouping, where he met Jaishankar.Rubio also highlighted the growing India-US strategic partnership, saying the two countries shared “so many values and so many common interests”. “A part of my visit here is also to reinforce how important this relationship is, how exciting it is, and how many opportunities we have to do things together,” he added.Jaishankar, in his address, said the visit reflected the significance of India-US ties in the current global landscape. “This visit, Secretary Rubio, your first, highlights the significance of our ties in contemporary times. It focuses on the value of a strong bilateral relationship and the beneficial contribution of the Quad,” Jaishankar said.“A year ago, Prime Minister Modi and President Trump set out a pathway for the further development of our enduring partnership. Your visit, Mr Secretary, and this celebration allow us to reaffirm our commitment to that vision,” he added.Earlier in the day, Rubio was also asked about racist remarks targeting Indian Americans online and in the United States. Responding to the question, he said such comments would be taken seriously but maintained that the US remained an inclusive country.“Every country in the world has stupid people… there are stupid people in the United States who make dumb comments all the time,” Rubio said., while adding that America had been enriched by immigrants from across the world. He also referred to his own family background, noting that his parents had migrated to the US from Cuba in 1956.Read more: Key takeaways from Rubio-Jaishankar joint press conference
